Airship Aerodynamics Technical Manual
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*TM 1-320 TECHNICAL MANUAL } WAR DEPARTMENT, No. 1-820 W ASHlNGTON, Pebr·um·y 11, 1941. AIRSHIP AERODYNAMICS Prepared under direction of Chief of the Air Corps SroriON I. General. Paragraph Definition of aerodynamics__________________ 1 Purpose and scope________ _____ __ __ ____ __ __ _ 2 Importance ---- ---------------------------- 3 Glossary of terms____ _____ ___ __________ __ __ 4 Types of airships----------- ---------------- 5 Aerodynamic forces_______________ __________ 6 ll. Resistance. Fluid resi&ance___________ ________ _________ 7 Shape coefficients_______ ____________________ 8 Coefficient of skin friction___________________ 9 Resistance of streamlined body-------------- 10 Prismatic coefficient------------------------ 11 Index of form efficiency_______ _____________ 12 lllustrative resistance problem_______________ 13 Scale effect--------------------------- - ---- 14 Resistance of completely rigged airship______ 15 Deceleration test --------- ------ ------------ 16 III. P ower requirements. Power required to overcome airship resistance_ 17 Results of various speed t rials____ ___ ________ 18 Burgess formula for horsepower------------- 19 Speed developed by given horsepower________ 20 Summary-----------------------""'---------- - 21 IV. Stability. Variation of pressure distribution on airship hull------------------------------------- 22 Specific stability and center of gravity of air- shiP---------------------------------- --- 23 Center of buoyancy________________________ 24 Description of major axis of airship__________ 25 T ypes of stability___ ________________ _______ 26 Forces and moments acting on airship________ 9/l Damping moment-------------------------- 28 Longitudinal stabilitY---------------------- 29 Directional stability___________ __________ ___ 30 Lateral stability-------------------------- -- 31 SummarY---------------- ------------------ 32 *Thia m anual supersedes or:a ll'lG-290, November 16, 1929. 285746°--41 1 TM: 1-320 1-2 AIR CORPS SECTION V. Control. Paragraph <Jenera! types______________________________ 33 Directional________________________________ 34 Altitude----------------------------- ------ 35 verse______________ ________________ _____ _ Re 36 Application of dynamic control to operation of airs. h' Ips _____ __________________________ __ _ 37 VI. Aerodynamic stress. Assumption as to conditior1 of maximum stress_ 38 Transverse forces acting on airship flying at constant angle of pitch________ __ ________ _ 39 Transverse forces acting on airship in steady turn_______________________________ __ __ __ 40 Forces caused by gusts______________________ 41 Empirical formulas for maximum aerodynamic bending moment on hull and for forces on tail surfaces-----·------------------------ 42 Method of calculating shear and ben_ding mo- ment on hulL __ _. _________________ ;________ 43 Conclusion________ ____ _____________________ 44 SE<:mON I <JENERAL Paragraph Definition of aerodynamics-- - ~ ------ --- --- --- -- ------- ------------------ 1 Purpose and scope----- ------- --- -------- ---·----- ------------------------ 2 Importance-- --------------~--------------- -------- ----- ---- ------- ----- 3 Glossary of terms--------------------- --------- -------------------- - ---- 4 Types of airships_·---------------------- ------------- ------------------- 5 Aerodynamic forces-------------------------------- ----- --------------- - 6 . 1. Definition of aerodynamics.-Aerodynamics is that branch of dynamics which treats of the motion of air and other gaseous fluids, and of the forces on solids in motion relative to such fluids. 2. Purpose and scope.- This manual is designed as a text for the· instruction of airship student pilots and as a reference text for th~ rated pilot. Accordingly the subject has been so approached as to · give the knowledge of aerodynamics essential to the operation of air ships. Intricate formulas involving higher mathematics, although valuable to the designer, are of secondary importance to the pilot. Such formulas therefore have been omitted and the entire subject so treated as to bring. out basic principles and their application to lighter than air aircraft operation. 2 TM 1-320 AffiSHIP AERODYNAMICS 3-4 3. Importance.-Airships are controlled in two ways, stati<-ally a.nd dynamically. The former method is discussed in TM 1-325 and will be mentioned but incidentally in this manual. Because of the existence of static means of control, the study of aerodynamics may" appear of minor importance to the operation of airships. This is untrue. Stability and control are constantly effected by a combina tion of static and dynamic forces. To insure safety of the airship and to preclude possibility of exposing it to dangerous conditiOJ:!.S, the pilot must be aware of existing dynamic forces and their effects on the airship itself and on its flight path. F requently airships, due tJ unavoidable causes such as leakage of gas or accumulation of mois ture, have become statically uncontrollable but have been sayed by the intelligent application of dynamic means of control. 4. Glossary of t erm s.-During recent years many terms have been introduced into the English language covering various aspects of aeronautical science. Report No. 240, National Advisory Commit tee for Aeronautics, defines the meaning of the most common of these expressions, from which most of the following definitions have been abstracted : .A.erodynamics.-Branch of dynamics which treats of the motion of air and other gaseous fluids and of the forces acting on solids in motion relative to such fluids . .A.eronautics.-Science and art pertaining to the flight of aircr aft. .A.ero3tat.-Generic term for aircraft whose support·is chiefly due to buoyancy derived from . aerostatic forces. The immersed body consists of one or more bags, cells, or other containers filled with a gas which is lighter than air. Airfoil.-Any surface designed to be projected through the air in order to produce a useful dynamic reaction. Airfoil section (or profile) .- Cross section of an airfoil made by a plane parallel to a specified reference plane. A line perpendicular to this plane is called the axis of the airfoil. Air scoop.-Projecting scoop which uses the wind or slipstream to maintain air pressure in the interior of the ball<:met of an aerostat. Airship.-Aerostat provided with a propelling. system and with means of controlling the direction of motion. When its power plant is not operating it acts like a free balloon. Nonrigid.-Airship whose form is maintained by the internal pressure in the gas bags and ballonets (fig. 1) . Rigid.-Airship whose form is maintained by a rigid structure (fig. 3). TM 1-320 4 AIR CORPS Se1nirigid.- Airship whose form is maintained by means of a rigid or jointed keel in conjunction with internal pressure in the gas containers and ballonets (fig. 2). The term "airship" is sometimes incorrectly applied to heavier than air aircraft either in full or as "ship." This is a slang use of the word and should be avoided. Air speed'.-Speed of an aircraft relative to the air. Its symbol is V. Angle, critical.-Angle of attack at which the flow about an airfoil changes abruptly with corresponding abrupt changes in lift and drag. Angle, elevator.-Angular displacement of elevator from neutral position. It is positive when trailing edge of the elevator is below neutral position. Angle of attack.-Acute angle bet-.veen the. chord of an airfoil and its direction of motion relative to the air. (This definition may be extended to other bodies than airfoils.) Its symbol is a. Angle of pitch.-Acute angle between two planes defined as follows: One plane includes lateral axis of the aircraft and direction of the relative wind; the other plane includes lateral axis and longi tudinal axis. (In normal fli ght the angle of pitch is the angle between longitudinal axis and direction of relative wind.) This angle is denoted by 0 and is positive when nose of the aircraft has nsen• . Angle of roll, or angle of bank.- Acute angle through which aircraft must be rotated about its longitudinal axis in order to bring its lateral axis into a horizontal plane. This angle is denoted by <I> and is positive when the left wing is higher than the right. Angle of yaw.-Acute angle between direction of relative wind and plane of symmetry of an aircraft. This angle is denoted by 'II and is positive when the aircraft has turned to the right. Angle, propeller blad'e.-Actual angle between chord of propeller section and plane perpendicular to axis of rotation of propeller. Usually caUed "blade angle." Angle, rudder.-Acute angle between rudder and plane of symmetry of the aircraft. It is positive when trailing edge has moved to the left with reference to normal position of pilot. Angle, zero lift;.-Angle of attack of an airfoil when its lift is zero. Aspect ratio of propeller blade.-Half the ratio of propeller diameter to maximum blade width. Awes of aircraft.-Three fixed lines of reference, usually centroidal and mutually perpendicular. The longitudinal axis in the plane TM 1-320 AIRSHIP AERODYNAMICS 4 of symmetry, usually parallel to axis of the propeller, is called the longitudinal axis; the axis perpendicular to this in the plane of symmetry is called the normal axis; and the third axis perpen dicular to the other two is called the lateral axis. In mathe matical discussions, the first of these axes, drawn from front to rear, is called the X axis; the second, drawn upward, the Z axis; and the third, running from right to left, the Y axis. Ballast.-Any substance,